Gardenia plant named &#39;PIIGA-II&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gardenia jasminoides  plant named ‘PIIGA-II’, characterized by fragrant, double white flowers, abundant large flowers in spring with reblooming to fall, lustrous, dark green foliage, compact upright growth habit, cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7, and resistance to root rot diseases.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Gardenia jasminoides L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIIGA-II’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gardenia jasminoides ‘Double Mint’×‘PIIGA-I’, a member of the Rubiaceae family, hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘PIIGA-II’. This cultivar is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant.

The new Gardenia cultivar originated from a controlled pollination seed of of Gardenia jasminoides ‘Double Mint’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,507)×(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,510) as part of a planned breeding program to develop reblooming, double-flowered, cold hardy Gardenias. The cultivar ‘PIIGA-II’ originated in 2012 and was selected in a cultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of this cross-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit and foliage and flower characteristics.

‘PIIGA-II’ has been asexually reproduced by softwood cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga. since 2013, and the characteristics of the cultivar have been stable and reproduced true-to-type in successive vegetative generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘PIIGA-II’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. In combination these characteristics distinguish ‘PIIGA-II’ from all other varieties in commerce known to the inventor. 1) Fragrant, double white flowers. 2) Abundant large flowers in spring with reblooming to fall. 3) Lustrous, dark green foliage. 4) Compact upright growth habit. 5) Cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7. 6) Resistance to root rot diseases. There are no other cultivars of Gardenia with this combination of characteristics known to the inventor.

‘PIIGA-II’ is distinguished from its female parent, ‘Gardenia jasminoides ‘Double Mint’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,507), by its growth habit, foliage size, flower size, and amount of rebloom. ‘PIIGA-II’ has a larger, more upright growth habit than ‘Double Mint’. ‘PIIGA-II’ has larger foliage than ‘Double Mint’. ‘PIIGA-II has a larger flower than ‘Double Mint’ with more reblooming.

‘PIIGA-II’ can be compared to ‘Crown Jewel’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,896), but differs in the following characteristics. ‘PIIGA-II’ has upright growth habit, whereas ‘Crown Jewel’ has a spreading growth habit. ‘PIIGA-II’ has larger foliage than ‘Crown Jewel’. ‘PIIGA-II’ re-blooms from spring to fall, whereas ‘Crown Jewel’ only flowers in spring. ‘PIIGA-II’ is more resistant to root rot in production than ‘Crown Jewel’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying illustrations show characteristics of the new cultivar in photographs as true to color as is reasonably possible to make in illustrations of this nature. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gardenia.

FIG. 1 shows the overall appearance of a two-year-old plant of ‘PIIGA-II’ in a container.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of a flower of a two-year-old ‘PIIGA-II’ plant.

FIG. 3 shows a close up photo of the foliage of a two-year-old ‘PIIGA-II’ plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately 2 years old and were grown in 11.8 L containers in full sun under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga.

-   Botanical classification: Gardenia hybrid cultivar ‘PIIGA-II’     Parentage: Female, or seed parent: Gardenia jasminoides ‘Double     Mint’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,507). Male, or pollen parent: Gardenia     jasminoides ‘PIIGA-I’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,510)     (controlled-pollination). Propagation: terminal cuttings. Time to     initiate roots, summer: about 21 days at 32° C. -   Plant description: The claimed variety is a freely branching,     upright, evergreen shrub. The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 7 to 9.     -   -   Propagation.—stem cuttings. Time to initiate roots in             summer: about 21 days.         -   Root description.—numerous, fibrous, and well-branched.         -   Plant size.—about 60 cm high from the soil level to the top             of the foliage and about 51 cm wide after about 3 years.             First year stems having a diameter of about 3 mm. Shape:             round. Pubescence: finely hairy.         -   First year stem color (young).—143C. Color (woody): 200A.         -   Stem strength.—flexible when young, more easily broken once             mature.         -   Internode length.—about 3 cm. Second year and older stems             have a diameter of about 5 mm or more. Shape: round.             Pubescence: none, lose all pubescence by 2^(nd) year.         -   Second year and older stem color.—200A.         -   Bark.—some stringy exfoliation beginning on second year             stems.         -   Trunk diameter.—about 1.7 cm at the soil line. Color: N200A. -   Vegetative bud description     -   -   Vegetative buds.—Arrangement: opposite. Shape: conical,             single-scaled. Size: about 3 mm in length, about 1 mm in             width; Color: 144C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—opposite some whorled, especially at the             terminal end of the shoot. Length: about 6 cm. Width: about             2 cm.         -   Shape.—lanceolate. Apex: acuminate. Base: cuneate. Margin:             entire.         -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—glabrous, lustrous, no             pubescence.         -   Venation.—pinnate. Venation color (upper and lower             surfaces): 145A.         -   Color of emerging foliage.—144A on the upper surface, and             144C on the lower surface. Color of mature foliage: N137A on             the upper surface, and 146A on the lower surface.         -   Petiole length.—about 2 mm. Petiole diameter: about 3 mm.             Petiole texture: glabrous. Petiole color (upper and lower             surfaces): 146A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—flowers are borne singly at the             terminals and in the axils where two stems divide.             Individual flowers are showy for about 2 days and remain on             the plant for about 1 to 2 weeks after they have senesced.             Bloom period: spring to frost. Flowers are produced             abundantly from May to June, and then sporadically through             November in Watkinsville, Ga. Fragrance: Exceedingly sweet             fragrance.         -   Flower diameter.—about 7 cm. Height or depth: about 4 cm.         -   Flower bud diameter.—about 1 cm. Flower bud length: about             4.5 cm. Flower bud shape: oblong. Flower bud color: 143A.         -   Calyx.—about 4 cm in length, about 1.5 cm in width, and 143A             in color.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/quantity: star shaped calyx with five             sepals fused at the base. Length: about 4.5 cm. Width: about             4 mm. Shape: lanceolate. Apex: acute. Margin: entire.             Texture on upper and lower surface: smooth, glabrous. Color             on upper and lower surface: 143C.         -   Pedicels.—about 2 cm in length, glabrous, and 144A in color. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—6 to 8 true petals and 16 to 18 petaloids per             flower.         -   True petal length.—about 2.4 cm. Width: about 2.3 cm. Shape:             obovate with entire, undulating margins and overlapping in             arrangement to form a whorl. Texture: thick, glabrous.             Color: at peak bloom the upper and lower surfaces are 155C             aging to 11C and eventually to N199D before dehiscing.         -   Petaloid length.—ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 cm, becoming smaller             toward the top and center of the flower. Width: ranges from             1.1 to 2.1 cm, becoming smaller toward the top and center of             the flower. Shape: Texture: thick, glabrous. Color: at peak             bloom the upper and lower surfaces are 155C aging to 11C and             eventually to N199D before dehiscing. -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity.—4 to 6 per flower, sometimes petaloid or             malformed. There is no separate filament structure present,             instead the anthers are fused to the base of the petals.             Anthers: about 8 mm long and about 2 mm wide. Color: 199A.             Pollen: either nonexistent or produced in small quantities             and color is 8B. -   Pistils:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—one per flower, inferior. Pistil             length: about 1.8 cm. Pistil diameter: about 4 mm. Stigma             shape: obovate, about 7 mm length and about 4 mm in             diameter. Stigma color: 1C. Style: color is 154D, about 3 cm             in length, and about 1.5 mm in width. Ovary: color is 2C,             about 5 mm in length, about 4 mm in width, elliptoid in             shape, and contains many (50 or more) very small (less than             1 mm) ovules. -   Fruit: No fruit set observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: No specific pest or disease resistance or     susceptibility has been observed. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Gardenia jasminoides plant named ‘PIIGA-II’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 